Wednesday, July 17, 2002

A final wrap-up of the Jade Mountain trip: Sunday was the longest day, covering 16.1 kilometers: up to the summit, back down, pack up at the Paiyun Lodge (elevation 3,402 meters), and hike back down to the waiting bus. We actually made it to the bus area by 2 p.m., but a combination of traffic and a dinner break resulted in not arriving in Taipei till after midnight. And by a dinner break, we're not talking about the American custom of picking up some fast food at a roadside rest area. The tour group scheduled a sit-down Chinese dinner at a restaurant in Jiayi. Flora and I did consider ditching the bus and taking a cab to the nearest airport to fly back, but we didn't have our credit cards on us.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip immensely, and my mobility is slowly returning as the lactic acid leaves my legs!